6612 —הנהגה במקל נועם, ושיטת חב"ד בהפצת אור

B"H, 21st of Kislev, 5719
Brooklyn.

The Rav and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, etc., our teacher Reb Yosef Chaim HaKohen, may he live^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 13th of Kislev; and the walking stick has just now been received^[2].

May it be G‑d's will that in your activities, you and your wife the Rebbetzin, may you live, succeed with great success in leading with "the staff of pleasantness"^[3], especially since this is the way of Chabad, and it also accords with the holy letter^[4] of our master the Baal Shem Tov^[5], that spreading the wellsprings outward is^[6] a preface, preparation and vessel for the matters of Mashiach, as explained at length in the talk of Simchas Torah 5690 by my father-in-law, the Rebbe^[7]. And it is explained in several places^[8] [among them in the series "VeHecherim" by the Rebbe Maharash^[9]]^[10] that the matter of Mashiach is leading with the staff of pleasantness. From this it is also understood that this is the central point of the leadership of our Rebbeim, the leaders of Chabad, and of all those who go on their shlichus to spread light from the light and the wellspring in the places to which they were sent.

May all the above be in a manner of steady increase; and strength for this is also given by the days of Chanukah, in which the halachah follows Beis Hillel, who steadily add from day to day^[11], and in matters of oil — the secret of secrets of the Torah, the Tree of Life^[12] — from which the light is drawn into the whole world and its affairs; and this is easy to understand^[13].

With blessing for good tidings^[14] in all the above, and a happy Chanukah.

You surely know my custom, without a vow, to avoid gifts^[15]. Therefore enclosed herewith, in its place, is a check.

Use it in good health.

[Publisher's note: Our teacher Reb Yosef Chaim: Rosenfeld, San Francisco. Further letters to him: below, 6671, 6701, 6789.]

Notes

1. Reb Yosef Chaim HaKohen (מו"ה יוסף חיים שי' הכהן): Rosenfeld, of San Francisco.

2. The walking stick has just now been received (וז"ע נתקבל המקל): וז"ע = וזה עתה. The stick is the walking cane of the Rebbe's father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe. It had been in the possession of the elderly Chassid R. Shneur Zalman Bezpaloff, rav of the "Bnei David" synagogue in San Francisco, and since the recipient was the Rebbe's shliach there, he gave it to him as a gift; the recipient flew at once to New York and presented it to the Rebbe. On this the Rebbe builds the rest of the letter, explaining the spiritual meaning of a "staff". At the end of the letter the Rebbe adds that his custom is to avoid gifts, and so he encloses a check in its place (and as members of the recipient's family have related, the recipient refused to accept payment, and the Rebbe insisted, citing the pasuk, Mishlei 15:27: "but one who hates gifts will live").

3. "The staff of pleasantness" (מקל נועם): After the pasuk, Zechariah 11:7: "And I took for myself two staffs; one I called Pleasantness (No'am) and the other I called Binders (Chovlim), and I tended the flock." That is: two ways of leading the flock — with pleasantness, and with harshness and rebuke; the way of Chabad is to lead with the staff of pleasantness, drawing close with love.

4. The holy letter (אגה"ק): אגרת הקודש.

5. Of our master the Baal Shem Tov (של רבנו הבעש"ט): The letter of the Baal Shem Tov to his brother-in-law R. Gershon of Kitov (printed at the beginning of Kesser Shem Tov): on ascending to the chamber of Mashiach he asked, "When will the Master come?", and was answered: "When your teaching becomes known and revealed in the world, and your wellsprings spread outward"; after Mishlei 5:16: "Let your wellsprings spread outward."

6. Is (ה"ה): הרי היא.

7. The talk of Simchas Torah 5690 by my father-in-law, the Rebbe (שיחת ש"ת תר"ץ לכ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר): ש"ת תר"ץ = Simchas Torah 5690. כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר — the Rebbe's father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe.

8. In several places (בכ"מ): בכמה מקומות.

9. The Rebbe Maharash (מוהר"ש): מורנו הרב רבי שמואל.

10. The series "VeHecherim" (המשך והחרים): A series of maamarim by the Rebbe Maharash, opening with the pasuk (Yeshayahu 11:15), "And G‑d will dry up the tongue of the sea of Egypt", dealing with the future redemption. The connection to the above: Mashiach's leadership will be with pleasantness and not with the staff of "Binders", and so leading with the staff of pleasantness now is a preparation and vessel for his coming.

11. Who steadily add from day to day (דמוסיף והולך מיום ליום): Shabbos 21b: "Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one, from then on one steadily adds"; and the halachah follows Beis Hillel (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 671:2). The letter was written on the 21st of Kislev, a few days before Chanukah.

12. Oil — the secret of secrets of the Torah, the Tree of Life (שמן רזין דרזין דאורייתא אילנא דחיי): Oil alludes to the secret of secrets of the Torah, the inner dimension of the Torah (just as oil is absorbed into and permeates everything, and rises above all liquids). "The Tree of Life" — after the words of the Raaya Mehemna (Zohar III, 124b), cited in Iggeres HaKodesh, section 26: "and because Israel will in the future taste of the Tree of Life, which is this Book of the Zohar, they will go out of exile through it with mercy." So spreading the inner Torah brings the redemption "with mercy" — with pleasantness, as above.

13. This is easy to understand (וק"ל): וקל להבין. That is: the connection between the matters (Chanukah — oil — the inner Torah — leading with the staff of pleasantness and the coming of Mashiach) is understood by one who understands.

14. Good tidings (לבשו"ט): בשורות טובות.

15. My custom, without a vow, to avoid gifts (מנהגי, בל"נ, להשתמט ממתנות): בל"נ = בלי נדר; מוסג"פ = מוסגר פה, "enclosed here". After the pasuk (Mishlei 15:27): "but one who hates gifts will live"; and so the Rebbe sends a check in place of the stick. At the end: "פארניצען געזונטערהייט" — use it in good health.

Summary

Acknowledging the walking stick of the Previous Rebbe sent by his shliach in San Francisco, the Rebbe blesses him and his wife with success in leading with "the staff of pleasantness" — the way of Chabad, and the way of Mashiach, for whom spreading the wellsprings is the preparation. Chanukah, when light keeps increasing and its oil alludes to the inner Torah, gives strength for this. Since he avoids gifts, he encloses a check in return.